Ever found yourself craving Italian but settling for ‘pretty good’? Neither have we. In Columbus, whether you’re a lifelong local or just passing through, you deserve more than mediocre marinara. That’s why we’ve scoured the city to bring you only the most exceptional—the places where every bite feels like a trip to Tuscany. Here are the 19 Italian restaurants that truly earn their place at the table.
Giuseppe’s Ritrovo
$$ | (614) 235-4300 | WEBSITE
You’ve encountered the staples of Italian dining before—things like bruschetta, lasagna, chocolate cake, and Mediterranean salad. But this cozy Columbus spot puts them under a magnifying glass, refining every element of the meal to impressive, meticulous excellence. The meat lasagna eats more like a slow-cooked ragu. The bruschetta is so crisp it could snap with the sound of a breaking twig.
There are restaurants where you can coast on familiarity and surrender your attention to a couple of reliable cocktails and classic pasta dishes. Giuseppe’s Ritrovo isn’t one of them. So reserve this place for an evening when you’re ready to savor every layer of chocolate and each individual basil leaf.
Piada Italian Street Food
$ | (614) 754-1702 | WEBSITE
Piada Italian Street Food is the kind of Italian spot so many Columbus residents are convinced we don’t have. And to find it, you’ve got to head to a neighborhood where the streets feel more like a lively market than a typical restaurant row. Even a quick Tuesday lunch here feels like a festive gathering in a cozy trattoria. At least half a dozen of your friends can gather at one of the sturdy, rustic wooden tables, equipped with condiment stations that invite sharing. Order freely.
Everything is thoughtfully assembled, and sometimes dishes arrive in warm wrappers kept fresh with careful preparation. Piada is a welcoming experience hiding in casual street food clothing.
Basi Italia
$$$ | (614) 294-7383 | WEBSITE
Basi Italia—not some generic Italian chain—is the intimate, romantic restaurant Columbus deserves. This cozy neighborhood gem offers just the right number of seats across its main dining room, bar area, and that beautiful patio. But this isn’t just a place to go and hope someone notices your date night outfit. The eggplant parmesan, lobster bisque, and personal, prompt service on display are special enough to be the main attraction.
You’re coming to Basi Italia anytime you have something even remotely romantic to celebrate: it’s just so damn lovely.
The Pizza House
$ | (614) 885-3121 | WEBSITE
We always know what to expect at The Pizza House: Italian classics (mostly pizza) that feel like a final draft, edited to near perfection without so much as one superfluous drop of sauce on the crust. This is true even after years of serving the same spectacular food that has made this place a Columbus staple. It’s consistent now. It maintains the clean, comfortable atmosphere that has always been its hallmark and continues to offer (its most impressive feature) generous portions that satisfy.
But what we truly love about The Pizza House are the ways it hasn’t changed. And it’s still a Columbus rarity: a welcoming destination for both takeout and dining, where the wet meatball sub remains a customer favorite and the pizzas are outstanding with top-notch ingredients.
Nicola Restaurant & Bar
$$ | (614) 459-7000 | WEBSITE
It’s hard to imagine a restaurant this elegant could be this close to downtown Columbus. But Nicola somehow transforms an intimate dining space into a Saturday night in Florence. You’re coming to this Italian restaurant for daily-made pasta, interesting specials, and expertly prepared food with fresh ingredients. But elegance comes first at Nicola. Every seat in the comfortable atmosphere gets you a view of attentive service, and special occasions going exactly as planned.
The entire place thrums with a combination of sophisticated energy and quality that’ll tee you up to be the version of yourself who usually only emerges after a perfect meal in another country.
TAT Ristorante Di Famiglia
$ | (614) 236-1392 | WEBSITE
TAT Ristorante Di Famiglia doesn’t look like much from the outside—just another unassuming storefront in Columbus. But this family-run Italian spot serves the most authentic home-cooked meals in the entire city. TAT reminds me of the best trattorias in Rome, where servers treat you like long-lost relatives and send you off with cannoli after bringing out wedding soup and lasagna you’ll crave for weeks. Go for the early bird special but come back for dinner and, eventually, a celebration meal.
It includes the best spaghetti in Ohio and ends with that perfect cannoli.
Milano’s Italian Restaurant
$$ | (614) 861-1277 | WEBSITE
Inside Milano’s Italian Restaurant, Frank Sinatra croons softly from the speakers, couples are sharing their second or third glass of Chianti, and the kitchen sends out generous plates of meatballs and manicotti with practiced efficiency. There’s a quiet romance to this intimate Italian spot, but the food is the real star. The cozy dining room makes it easy to spot the beautiful plate of Eggplant Parmesan from across the space and decide you’ll order that next.
The couple to your right might mention they come here every Wednesday for the prime rib special, and the couple to your left could say it’s their anniversary dinner. Everyone leaves with the same thought—this is where we’ll come back for our next date night.
Trattoria Roma
$$ | (614) 488-2104 | WEBSITE
It makes sense that Trattoria Roma has become a go-to for special occasions, because dinner here is still an experience worth planning in advance. But you’re not coming to this Italian restaurant in Columbus just to post a photo of the elegant dining room. You’re here to enjoy some of the most delicious food in the city. Many of Trattoria Roma’s best dishes—like the Caesar salad with added anchovies and the stuffed meatballs—are wonderfully satisfying. Maybe don’t skip dessert.
But Trattoria Roma has even found a way to make the wine selection an absolute delight (ask Sarah for her glass recommendations).
Dante’s Pizza
$ | (614) 268-5090 | WEBSITE
Step through the door at this family-owned pizzeria. It’s been here since 1973, and that’s where you’ll find Christina, the owner, who started as a teen, now sharing stories while the staff prepares homemade sausage and jalapeño pizza, Ezzo pepperoni pies, and a side salad and soup special. Watch them work and you’ll see the thin, crispy crust layered with the perfect ratio of toppings and cheese. You can also call ahead, but chatting is half the charm at Dante’s.
How else would you learn about the decent bourbon selection or the local beer and wine? Grab a slice and have napkins ready.
Villa Nova Ristorante
$ | (614) 846-5777 | WEBSITE
Villa Nova Ristorante, with its warm amber lighting and classic Sinatra tunes, might seem like the kind of place that’s only for those who own at least one well-worn leather jacket and can recite The Godfather by heart. But, as it turns out, bubbling mozzarella pizza, cozy booths, and soul-warming Italian Wedding soup gets everyone feeling right at home, which is why the cross-generational crowd here is genuinely heartwarming.
That only makes Villa Nova feel even more like one of the family-run trattorias it draws inspiration from. By the end of this very satisfying dinner, the checkered tablecloth should be dusted with parmesan from the celebrated lasagna, tomato sauce from the essential garlic bread, and crumbs that managed to escape your third slice of that renowned pizza.
Pastaria
$ | (614) 228-2850 | WEBSITE
When choosing an Italian meal in Columbus, you typically have to decide between a fancy occasion, a casual family dinner, or something in between. But Pastaria smoothly transitions between these dining experiences. You walk into this welcoming restaurant, find a table, and before long, plates of arrabbiata over penne and tiramisu arrive at your table. Make it a quick Sanpellegrino and a snack. Or bring the whole family for a relaxed meal.
The atmosphere at Pastaria feels like a cozy Italian kitchen on a Sunday evening, and regardless of how you choose to enjoy this place, you’ll have the kind of satisfying experience that usually only comes with being in a genuinely welcoming neighborhood spot.
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
$ | (614) 792-8181 | WEBSITE
While trendy trattorias have multiplied across Columbus, Olive Garden has anchored itself in its spacious, clean location, where it’s remained accessible to all and fiercely committed to familiar favorites for decades. Columbus’s most reliable Italian chain is still its most welcoming. It’s also not for purists. There are hundreds of seats. Soft, family-friendly music plays in the background of the unpretentious space.
And you’re more likely to encounter the unlimited salad with warm breadsticks or the hearty Tour of Italy platter than artisanal small plates. Dinner at Olive Garden is a comfortable hour of Columbus’s most consistently satisfying Italian-American cooking.
Speck Italian Eatery
$$$ | (614) 754-8544 | WEBSITE
You need two very important things to dine at this Italian restaurant in Columbus. First, patience—the menu changes constantly. Second, bring an adventurous palate. Dishes here surprise you with every visit. We love the bone marrow pasta. The flavor is so rich it lingers like a cherished memory. But our favorite dish is the sausage ragu, the best in all of Ohio. You’ll notice a basket of famous focaccia on your table—tear off a piece for anything you order.
With its moody lighting and warm atmosphere, Speck feels like the kitchen of an Italian nonna—a place most Columbus residents would correctly say is where you’ll find the best Italian food in town. But Speck is the closest any Columbus restaurant comes to a true Italian dining experience.
Carfagna’s Ristorante
$$ | (614) 848-4488 | WEBSITE
Carfagna’s Ristorante is the kind of place that’ll make you feel nostalgic for old-school Italian dining, even if you never experienced it firsthand. Here, in this inviting space that feels both cozy and bustling, you’ll find generous portions, that legendary tomato sauce everyone raves about, and the kind of warm service that makes you want to stay a while. But what really sets Carfagna’s apart from every other Italian spot in Columbus is the outstanding customizable dishes.
Meatballs and pasta stand side by side with fresh bread and perfectly salted butter. Come here to enjoy a satisfying meal, take advantage of the large free parking lot, and get a taste of authentic Italian flavors without having to pay exorbitant prices or deal with a pretentious atmosphere.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
$$ | (614) 880-2426 | WEBSITE
It’s easy to oversimplify Italian food and assume it can all fit neatly in a red-checkered tablecloth box. But Carrabba’s is the best example of how incredibly nuanced and diverse Italian restaurants can be. This welcoming spot serves unfussy comfort food in a clean, well-decorated environment worthy of celebrating your niece’s graduation. If you’re here with a group, get the lunch trio, which includes a meatball small entree, a cup of soup, and a side salad, all for a reasonable price.
No matter who you’re here with, end with the free bread served with decent seasoning and oil. And if you’re celebrating a birthday, expect an aggressive amount of friendly attention from the attentive and kind staff.
Gallo’s Kitchen & Bar
$$ | (614) 754-8176 | WEBSITE
Gallo’s Kitchen & Bar has a welcoming neighborhood vibe, a consistently satisfying approach, and likes to serve up lively evenings with cocktails and appetizers. But it also takes its food very seriously, and this spot is quietly one of Columbus’s most reliably enjoyable Italian restaurants. If you want something dependably delicious on a plate, perhaps paired with an excellent drink, this is where you want to be.
The chicken parm is as great as everyone says, but so are more classic offerings on the menu like the chicken etouffee and pasta with sausage. Yes, Gallo’s is still the most fun place to be in Columbus on a Monday night for that signature dish. But don’t forget about them next time you’re making dinner plans.
Due Amici
$$ | (614) 224-9373 | WEBSITE
Since Columbus always finds its rhythm in the heart of the Midwest, it’s fitting that one of the city’s best Italian spots feels uniquely Columbus. And Due Amici is serving food that could only exist in the 614. The bruschetta is a perfect starter with just the right crunch, the chicken Marsala uses tender local poultry, the veal meatballs have a hint of vintage charm in their seasoning, and so many of the best dishes showcase the consistent quality that regulars rave about.
This is Italian food done Columbus style—and done in a way that makes a delicious argument that bruschetta, meatballs, and tiramisu are just as Columbus as Buckeye pride, local brews, and enjoying a relaxed yet classy night out with friends.
Castello Pizza
$ | (614) 725-5600 | WEBSITE
Castello Pizza gives the pizza parlors of Columbus the recognition they deserve. To call this clean, welcoming spot the best Italian joint in the city is a serious understatement, considering how many options we have. Castello’s renditions of classics—like the Gyro pizza reimagined with their standout cheese—feel like instant favorites themselves. Even more notable, though, is their brilliant use of generous portions.
They whip that chewy crust into perfection and deserve a hearty tip from the delivery industry, given all the ways they’ve made late-night eating delicious.
Smith’s Restaurant and Deli
$ | (614) 267-7541 | WEBSITE
Maybe your days of chasing trendy fusion spots are behind you. But if you still want to engage in some classic Italian-American comfort—all while feeling like you’ve stepped into a cozy neighborhood joint—then head to Smith’s Restaurant and Deli. If you’re coming here for a satisfying lunch (or just want a sandwich to feel like a special treat in and of itself) get the turkey club on wheat.
They pile this perfectly toasted bread high with thick-cut turkey, crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, and ripe tomato, then serve it with a side of their house-made marinara for dipping. Their spaghetti and meatballs is also one of Columbus’s most reliable plates.